Kurdish female self-defense units. Kill the Terrorist: How Kurdish Women Fight the Isis. Ismail Hame (Ismaîl Hemê)

DUSHANBE, May 2 - Sputnik, Ruben Garcia. Last Monday, May 1, Kurdish armed detachments recaptured the Syrian city of Tabka (El-Saura) from the militants of the Islamic State banned in Russia, located next to the Euphrates hydroelectric power station.

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Its inhabitants created a system of popular assemblies and peculiar communes, a combat-ready armed militia, commodity exchange on the basis of cooperatives as a local economic system.

And they gave broad rights to women. This was facilitated by quite objective reasons.

At one time, Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, closely associated with Syria, even before he was imprisoned in 1999, came to the conclusion that in order to win his movement, which had greatly thinned out in battles with regular Turkish troops, it is not at all shameful to attract women to the party.

The same conclusion was probably reached by the commanders of the Syrian militia, where there was an acute shortage of men, especially commanders, after the advance of the Caliphate's troops inland.

This is how the "Women's Self-Defense Units" emerged, which became one of the most capable units of the Kurdish armed forces, known as the Peshmerga. Moreover, they occupy not only rank-and-file, but also command positions. For example, one of the two commanders of the security forces "Asayish" (Asayîş RojavaKurdistanê) is a woman Aytan Farhad.

Themselves YUJ entirely consist of the fairer sex, there is no place for men.

Retribution for terror

What are the Kurdistan Self-Defense Forces?

These are infantrymen who do not have heavy weapons. The smallest military unit numbers from 3 to 6 people, capable of autonomously performing a variety of combat missions, mainly area patrolling and reconnaissance.

The larger unit, the baluk, consists of about 30 people. Further - the Tabur, an analogue of the modern battalion.

Many volunteers from Western countries, mainly representatives of left-wing political movements, are howling on the side of the Kurds.

Formally, the Kurdish armed forces are subordinate to the High Command and the Military Council, which meets every six months and develops a plan of military action.

The militia is voluntary. The commanders there are elected by direct vote and regularly hold meetings where it is possible to challenge the actions of the commanders.
Girls over 17 years old who wish to join YUJ can take a two-week military training course, but they are only eligible to fight on the front lines after reaching 20 years old.

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A girl from the Kurdistan Women's Self-Defense Force with a grenade launcher

Self-defense units are fighting desperately. Women are doubly so. Taught by the bitter experience of Raqqa, where thousands of Kurdish and Yezidi girls and women, if not killed, then sold into sexual slavery, YUJ fighters often speak of a desire to take revenge on terrorists who torture and sell their sisters like cattle.

They manage to take revenge quite well. On the first request, the browser displays a lot of photos, where the girls are captured against the background of the bodies of the killed terrorists.

It is easy to assume that for the fundamentalists from the Caliphate the very possibility of being shot not only by an unfaithful person, but also by a woman is like a spit in the soul.

The resistance of the Kurds is all the more stubborn because they simply have nowhere to retreat - they are unlikely to receive a warm welcome in Iraq, and for the Turkish authorities every Kurd is a potential terrorist.

Moreover, Syrian militias openly accuse Ankara of supporting ISIS in the fight against the Kurds.

"Syrian Kurdistan can be an example of resistance to terrorism, violation of women's rights. And Erdogan wants to establish the dictatorship of the Turkish sultanate on our territory," said Turkish parliamentary deputy from the Democratic Party of Peoples Aishe Basharan at a press conference at the Rossiya Segodny news agency. dedicated to the fight with terrorism.

There are indeed grounds for such loud statements. At the end of April, the Turkish army fired at the positions of the Kurdistan Workers' Party. The attack killed 70 people. Four days later, on April 29, after new airstrikes in northern Iraq, 14 more PKK members were killed.

And the Turkish leader does not rule out new missile strikes.

In the Peshmerga detachments - "going to death" or "looking death in the eyes", as this word is translated from Kurdish, not only men, but also women are fighting in the north of Iraq. Kurdish Self-Defense Forces operate in Syria as well.

Peshmerga female special forces

As you know, the attitude towards women reflects well the character of the people themselves. Therefore, Kurds are probably the most liberal among Muslims. Of course, all the hard homework do women.

Kurdish women do not cover their faces. In a crowd, they mingle with men and in a general conversation can always have their say. In the absence of her husband, the hostess of the house has the right to receive a guest, communicate without pretentious modesty or shyness of Turkish or Iranian women, and share a meal with him with pleasure. When the husband appears, the woman, as a sign of attention to her guest, does not leave him until the husband ties the horse and enters the house.

There can be, of course, no question of the imprisonment of a woman.

Kurds have one characteristic feature: the absence of special women's quarters (harems), which makes the Kurdish woman free. The Kurd never sought to restrict the rights of women. He considers her worthy of equal trust, capable of enjoying the same rights and obligations as a man.

From a psychological point of view, a woman in his eyes has the same inclinations, the same virtues and the same vices as a man.

Young people know each other very well. The marriage is preceded by real courtship on the part of the applicant. Romantic feelings reign in the hearts of the Kurds ...

All these features of the national character were revealed, the only ones in the East, female military detachments. In addition to Kurdistan, there are only a few countries in the world in which women are allowed to participate in battles (in the Middle East, this includes only Israel).

Appearing in 1946 in the mountains on the border of Iran and Iraq, the Peshmerga is still fighting, and the women of Kurdistan have been fighting since the first days.

Separate women's groups have been formed, and there is also a brigade.

Most female soldiers are single girls under 30.

Of the 40-50 thousand Kurdish fighters in Syria, 35% are women. Most of them are single, although, according to the representative of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, Redur Khalil, there were cases when even mothers took up arms and joined the ranks of self-defense.

“I came here to protect my land and my people,” says Rosarin, a fighter in the women's self-defense squad. - Relatives support us. Before joining the detachment, I went through training. I was taught to shoot - I had never used a weapon before. from the Islamic State group are there, so if we see any movement, then we shoot. They thought women couldn't fight them, but here we are. We are not afraid because we know what we are fighting for. I am 19 years old, at school I went to the 11th grade. But I dropped out to fight. "

According to the commander of one of the subdivisions Chichek (her name means "flower"), "men fight with the help of only force, while women take it with intelligence, careful preparation. We know when to use weapons, and when - cunning. And then , women by nature hate violence, war. But we have to defend ourselves. We were born and raised with this thought in our heads. "

These women's squads instill fear in IS militants, who believe that by accepting death at the hands of a woman, they will deprive themselves of paradise.

ISIS radical imams often use the Quranic suras to recruit new fighters, in which the jihadists who died in battle are promised a Garden of Eden, where they will be greeted by 72 virgins.

Fighters IG believe that if they die in battle, they will go to heaven, but only if they accepted death at the hands of a man.

From the very first days of training, women are warned that they cannot surrender, and they do not surrender. Each of them carries a grenade with them, as a last resort.

If the militants manage to capture the captive, then she dies a terrible death.

Women's military units included in Peshmerga are undergoing intensive training in special squads, where representatives of the “weaker” sex are taught to shoot from sniper rifles, to wield a Kalashnikov assault rifle and to throw hand grenades.

In the defense of the hero-city of Kobani, if it were not for the YPG women's brigade, the city would not have resisted.

IS militants broke into the city, fierce street battles lasted for 2 months, women fought beyond praise.

There is data. that they more than once or twice entered hand-to-hand combat with the militants.

Misaa Abdu, a Kurdish female fighter known to everyone under the pseudonym Narin Afrin, led women's brigade in the city of Kobani, from the very beginning of hostilities.

The most dangerous soldiers, according to journalists, serve in the Kurdish women's self-defense units. Kurdish warriors are fighting against the main global threat - terrorists of the "Islamic State" and "Al-Qaeda in Syria" directly in hot spots.

A separate line in civil war in Syria, the Kurds are now taking part, who since the 1840s have been trying to build an independent state at the junction of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. But first of all, this is not interesting, but this is what:

The Tevgera Civaka Demokratîk (Tevgera Civaka Demokratîk) TEV-DEM, which forms the basis of Kurdish self-government, makes anarchists around the world cry with envy. Strict separation of religion from politics, freedom of speech and religion, direct democracy, people's militia instead of the army and the police, equality of men and women (including in terms of service in self-defense units), nationalization natural resources- it's all there. At the same time, the Kurds claim that until recently they did not want to interfere in the war on anyone's side, but only defend their land.

Although the Kurds in Syria are no more than 10%, they were able to create one of the strongest rebel armies, which controls almost the entire northeast of Syria (and this is not some kind of desert, but mostly fertile lands plus oil-bearing regions - up to 60% of Syrian reserves) , and successfully defends itself from the Islamists from the "Front of al-Nusra" and the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" who are coming to him.

Fighting wing PYD and DBK - People's Self-Defense Units (Kurd. Yekîneyên Parastina Gel, YPG)); however, the YPG leader claims that the units are not officially affiliated with any political party or ideology. It is also noteworthy that the commanders of the detachments are elected by direct democratic suffrage. As of July 2012, there were between 4,000 and 5,000 fighters on the PYD side; according to the PYD leader dated December 1, 2012, this number could rise to 10 thousand.

Since the end of May 2013, the YPG has been fighting mainly against Islamists and Free Syrian Army militants who are trying to establish control over the Kurdish regions of Syria - thus, the Kurds play the role of a "third force" in the Syrian conflict. Nevertheless, the PYD was accused by the Syrian opposition of loyalty to B. Assad (and even that the Assad government deliberately placed the north-east of Syria under the control of the PYD). To clarify: the Kurdish militia of Iraq called "Peshmerga" (Kurd. Pêşmerge) has much in common with the YPG, but is not the same structure with it.

YPJ (Kurd. Yekîneyên Parastina Jin) is the YPG women's brigade, which was created in 2012. Kurdish media admit that "the YPJ troops are of vital importance in the defense of Kobani. The actual photo report about them was taken from 04/30/2015. But I was able to get a photo of a higher resolution.

Most female soldiers are single girls under 30

According to the BBC news agency, up to 30% of the Kurdistan Self-Defense Forces are women.

Surprisingly, many of them explain their decision to go to war by the possibility of self-determination. So, 21-year-old Ruba Jazera says: “I understand the Syrian revolution not only as a revolution of the masses, but also as a revolution of the female part of these masses, therefore I consider myself an integral part of it. Women have been suppressed for more than 50 thousand years, and now we have the opportunity to have our own right to make decisions, the right to self-identification. " Many girls say that they went to fight because they do not have the opportunity to get a good education, and, accordingly, there are no prospects for a prosperous, relatively independent existence. “We are not like a regular army. We are a revolutionary movement. We are not afraid of death, ”says 23-year-old Gulbaad - writes

“What can these people from Daesh ( داعش Daesh Arabic term for ISIS) who come to fight us? We have roots here. We have the right to be here; therefore, we also have the right to defend ourselves. If we lose our land, we will lose our honor, and if we lose honor, we will also lose our right to speak out about our history and our language, ”one of the girls said in an interview.

An important fact in organizing women's squads is that Islamists try to avoid battles with girls. The reason for this is the creed. The fact is that it is an honor for an Islamist to fall in battle, but if he dies at the hands of a woman, then, according to the interpretation, he will go to hell.

Symbol of Kurdish resistance decapitated

This girl, known by her pseudonym Rehana, inspired Kurdish fighters with her courage, personally killing over 100 extremists. She was a symbol of the Kurdish resistance movement, writes The Daily Mail. 10/28/2014 ISIS fighters photographs where one of them was holding a severed woman's head. Extremists claim it is Rehana's head.

Some women go to war with their husbands. It is not forbidden, but it is not allowed to start new relationships at the front.

Before being enrolled in the detachment, all girls undergo a compulsory six-week military training course. “All these women undergo the same serious combat training as the men, under the leadership of the government army and a number of special detachments. The results of female soldiers are in no way inferior to those of men, so dozens of our wives and daughters are fighting shoulder to shoulder with us on the front lines, even as part of male detachments. As soon as possible, it is planned to send some of our female fighters to carry out special assignments in Kirkuk, ”says one of the commanders.

In the Middle East, blazing in the flames of civil wars, only one player can emerge as a clear winner - the Kurds. The people, who have never had their own state, are half a step away from acquiring their own country, which occupies both part of the territory of Syria and the oil-bearing part of Iraq. To accomplish this, the Kurds need to withstand the onslaught from ISIS and other Islamic radical groups (in Syria), and possibly the forces of Bashar al-Assad. In the future, an escalation of the conflict is also possible on the territory of Turkey, in areas populated mainly by Kurds.

On the this moment the "Iraqi" Kurds are doing somewhat better than the "Syrian" ones. Kurdish units in Iraq - Peshmerga ("going to death") contain ISIS, the fighting is going on with varying success. In Syria, a catastrophe almost happened - only NATO air strikes helped to avoid the complete loss of the strategically important city of Kobani, but the battles with the Islamists are still ongoing. In order to assess the prospects of the Kurds in the ongoing war, one must at least roughly assess their strength. As a reminder, ISIS forces (http://www.regnum.ru/news/polit/1854462.html) and Iraqi government forces were assessed in previous articles (http://www.regnum.ru/news/polit/1856425.html) ...

First, let's turn our attention to the Yekîneyên Parastina Gel (YPG) Kurds of Syria. The number of detachments is estimated in different ways: from 15 to 45 thousand people. They are armed mainly with light weapons - mostly Soviet small arms and anti-tank weapons. There are also American models, since the United States carries out the supply of military assistance by air. Of the heavy equipment, the YPG probably has about 5 T-55 tanks captured in battles with the Islamists. The combat capability of the detachments was not so high - as mentioned above, without NATO air support, the YPG faced a very painful defeat in the city of Kobani.

Now let's take a closer look at the Peshmerga, which are the backbone of the Kurdish forces in the world.

1. Total number

The Peshmerga population is approximately 190-200 thousand people. Which means that the Kurds have a personnel comparable to that of government forces and at least 2-3 times the strength of ISIS.

2. Small arms and portable anti-tank weapons

Both Soviet and Western weapons are used. Available American assault rifles M16, M4, German G36 and G3, sniper rifles M40 and Barrett M82A1. But still, of course, Kalashnikov assault rifles are the main small arms Peshmerga. Among anti-tank weapons, it is worth noting the American TOW anti-tank missiles and the Franco-German MILAN. A fairly wide range of anti-tank grenade launchers is used: Soviet RPG-7, American AT-4, Swedish-German Carl Gustav, German Panzerfaust 3.

3. Light armored vehicles and trucks

Military Humvees, hundreds of which were handed over to the Peshmerga by Americans leaving Iraq. 60 German LKW Wolf jeeps and UNIMOG trucks were purchased. Used Soviet trucks "Ural" and GAZ, as well as combat vehicles infantry BMP-1, in an unknown quantity. In addition, the Peshmerga managed to seize some of the equipment from the abandoned military bases of the Iraqi government forces - American MRAP armored vehicles and M1117 armored personnel carriers.

4. Heavy armored vehicles

There are at least 215 T-55 tanks in stock, rumored to be 100-120 in need of repair. 150-170 T-62, however, the ammunition for these vehicles is limited. There are a number of more modern T-72 tanks, but no more than 30 units.

5. Artillery

The Peshmerga army presumably has: Grad MLRS, a number of American 155-mm M198 howitzers, Soviet D-30, D-20 and M30 howitzers.

6. Means air defense

In clashes with IS militants, air defense systems do not find their use, since jihadists do not yet use aircraft. Air defense is represented by anti-aircraft artillery - ZU-23 and obsolete Soviet KS-30 guns. All this stuff is probably used for fire on ground targets. In addition, the Peshmerga has a certain number of outdated Strela-2 MANPADS. If at some point the newly created Kurdish state has to clash with the Turkish Armed Forces, then it is in the air defense that the main weak point of the Peshmerga and the YPG will be covered.

7. Aviation

Combat aviation as such is absent. There are a number of civilian and police helicopters that can be used for reconnaissance and transport purposes. With the money provided Saudi Arabia, American helicopters Sikorsky S-333 and French Eurocopter EC120 Colibri were purchased.

As we can see, the total forces of the Kurds are not much inferior to the Iraqi government forces and are noticeably superior to ISIS. However, the big problem of the Peshmerga is that the armed detachments were financed rather poorly, which is why there were almost no exercises, respectively, there is no need to talk about any professionalism yet, although, of course, it will gradually come along with combat experience. It is also worth noting a serious lack of ammunition for the Peshmerga and the YPG - perhaps the problem will be partially solved through supplies from the United States.

From all of the above, we can conclude that the Kurds have enough forces to defend all those territories that are now under their control. There remains only a question of motivation and fighting spirit, which, for example, seriously let down the Iraqi government forces. However, it should be noted that in the event of a military conflict with Turkey, the Kurds will face serious problems: they will have to fight against an enemy with complete air supremacy, well trained and well equipped. Therefore, the possibility of promoting the Kurdistan project into Turkish territory will depend more on the local population than on the Peshmerga and YPG, which, at best, will be able to hold the current territories.

Syrian or Western Kurdistan (Rojavayê Kurdistanê) or Rojava (literally "west") - is located in the north and north-east of Syria. The number of Kurds in Syria is about 3 million people, which is about 9% of the country's population. The conditional capital of Western Kurdistan is the city of Kamishli. The following most famous Kurdish parties and organizations operate in Syria:

"Supreme Kurdish Council"- (Desteya Bilind a Kurd) (abbrev. VKS, DBK)

"Party" Democratic Union "- (Partiya Yekîtiya Demokrat) (abbrev. PYD)

"Kurdish National Council » - (Encûmena Niştimanî ya Kurdî li Sûriyê) (abbrev. KNS, ENKS)

"Detachments of people's self-defense » - (Yekîneyên Parastina Gel) (abbreviation YPG)

"Detachments of women's self-defense » - (Yekîneyên Parastina Jin) (abbreviation YPJ)

"Safety of Rojava"- (Asayîş Rojava)

- (Tevgera Civaka Demokratik) (abbrev. TEV-DEM)

"Democratic Party of Kurdistan-Syria"- (Partiya Demokrat a Kurdistanê li Sûriyê) (PDKS)

"Kurdish Front"- (Jabhat al-Akrad)

"Supreme Kurdish Council" - (Desteya Bilind a Kurd) (abbrev. VKS, DBK ) -

body of the interim government of Syrian Kurdistan.

The emblem of the "Supreme Kurdish Council"

The council was established in 2012 in Erbil. With the participation of Massoud Barzani - President of the Kurdish Autonomy "Iraqi Kurdistan". Created with the aim of uniting Kurds in Syrian Kurdistan. The combined organizations agreed to jointly manage the territories under their control until popular elections are organized.

The Council consists of two main organizations:

Party Democratic Union (PYD)

« Kurdish National Council"(ENKS)

The Council also has its own armed forces and police, which are represented by organizations:

People's Self-Defense Forces (YPG)

« Women's self-defense squads» (YPJ)

"Safety of Rojava"

The "Supreme Kurdish Council" consists of ten people:

Ehmed Silêman

Ismail Hame (Ismaîl Hemê)

Nasradin Ibrahim (Nesredîn Îbrahîm)

Muhyedin Sheikh Ali (Mihyedîn Şêx Alî)

Saud Mele

Ebdelselam Ehmed

Aldar Xelîl

Lham Ehmed

Salih Muslim

Senam Muhammad (Sînem Mihemed).

Members "Supreme Kurdish Council" with Massoud Barzani (center)

"Kurdish National Council of Syria" (Encûmena Niştimanî ya Kurdî li Sûriyê - abbrev. KNS, ENKS) - Kurdish political organization... It was founded in 2011 with the participation of the "Regional Government of Kurdistan" and its leader Masoud Barzani. The composition of the Council includes 26 members, 15 of them are leaders of the Kurdish parties operating in Syria. They are also the founders of the Union.

Chairman of the Council - Abdul Hakim Bashar

Emblem of the "Kurdish National Council"

Abdul Hakim Bashar

Initially ENKS collaborated with By the "Syrian National Council" - the body of the so-called anti-Assad opposition, but later terminated relations with him due to disagreements on the issue of Kurdish autonomy.

ENKS also clashed with another influential Kurdish organization - Party "Democratic Union"(PYD). In order to resolve the contradictions between them, Massoud Barzani proposed the idea to unite these two organizations into a single "Supreme Kurdish Council". ENKS does not set as its goal the creation of a separate Kurdish state, but stands for the creation of Kurdish autonomy within the framework of an indivisible Syria.

Internationally ENKS develops relations with the USA, EU and other Western countries. In 2012, the ENKS Chairman visited The White house and the US State Department, where he discussed the problems of the Syrian Kurds.

ENKS is actively involved in the civil war in Syria.

"Democratic Party of Kurdistan in Syria" (Partiya Demokrat a Kurdistanê li Sûriyê - abbrev. DPKS, PDKS) - founded in 1957. This is the first Kurdish party in Syria. It is the Syrian branch of the KDP in Iraqi Kurdistan, Massoud Barzani.

The emblem of the "Democratic Party of Kurdistan-Syria"

PDKS Head - Saud Al Mulla

PDKS members are frequently arrested by the PYD, despite being united by the “Supreme Kurdish Council”. PDS (PYD), being a part, considers itself the only one real force in Syrian Kurdistan and is trying to prevent the growth of influence of Masud Barzani through his affiliated DPKS (PDKS).

"Movement for a Democratic Society" (Tevgera Civaka Demokratik - abbrev. TEV-DEM) Is a Kurdish political movement representing interests in Syrian Kurdistan.
The political wing of the TEV-DEM movement is considered Party "Democratic Union". Members of the movement adhere to the philosophy of Abdullah Ocalan.

The movement's co-chairs are Asya Abdullah and Aldar Xalil. The TEV-DEM system includes both political and cultural organizations Kurds. These are schools with teaching in Kurdish, organizations for women's rights, trade unions, youth centers.

Democratic Society Movement flag

Eldar Xalil

Party "Democratic Union" (Partiya Yekîtiya Demokrat - abbrev. PDS, PYD) Is a Kurdish political party founded in 2003. It is the political wing of the broader Movement for a Democratic Society (TEV-DEM).

Emblem of the Party "Democratic Union"

Party co-chairs - Salih Muslim and Asya Abdullah

Together with " Kurdish National Council of Syria» (ENKS) is part of "Supreme Kurdish Council" (VKS, DBK)... The PDS (PYD) plays a dominant role in Syrian Kurdistan, often forcing other participants in the political process to agree with their decisions. This is primarily due to the fact that the PDS (PYD) is a branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party in Syria (via TEV-DEM) and is under strong pressure from the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Iraq, chaired by Masoud Barzani. M. Barzani's sphere of influence includes organizations -« Kurdish National Council of Syria» (ENKS) and Democratic Party of Kurdistan-Syria (PDKS). These are serious competitors to PYD.

Conflicts often arise between them, ending with protests and arrests of participants.

The PDS (PYD) has subordinate paramilitary self-defense units, such as:

The group officially declares that it does not belong to any party and acts independently.

The commander of the group is Sipan Hemo.

Flag of the People's Self-Defense Detachments.

Sipan Hemo

YPG is actively involved in the Syrian civil war. Initially, it resisted the government forces of Assad, but then concluded peace agreements with him. At the moment, he is fighting against the "Islamic State" ^ sometimes resorting to the help of the opposition "Free Syrian Army". It operates on the territory of Syria and Iraq, as it believes that it has the right to be in any part of Kurdistan. Through PDS (PYD) it is affiliated with.

Under its jurisdiction, the YPG has a women's militant organization - Women's Self-Defense Force (YPJ).

Also, YPG secretly interacts with such organizations as: Kurdish Front (Jabhat al-Akrad), Syrian Union Party (SUP) and Security of Rojava (Asayîş Rojava)